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Gygis
File:White tern with fish.jpg
Status iucn3.1 LC
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)[1][2] (both species)
Scientific classification e
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Aves
Clade: Aequorlitornithes
Order: Charadriiformes
Suborder: Lari
Family: Laridae
Subfamily: Gyginae
Verheyen, 1959
Genus: Gygis
Wagler, 1832

Gygis is a genus of birds in the tern family. It consists of two species,[3]

The Little White-Tern is usually considered to be a subspecies, G. (a.) microrhyncha, of the White Tern.

These are small, all white terns of tropical oceans. They nest on coral islands, usually on trees with thin branches but also on rocky ledges and on man-made structures. They feed on small fish caught by plunge diving.

Gygis is from Greek γυγης gugēs, a mythical water-bird mentioned by Dionysius.[4]

References[]

  • Niethammer, K. R., and L. B. Patrick-Castilaw. 1998. White Tern (Gygis alba). in The Birds of North America, No. 371 (A. Poole and F. Gill, eds.). The Birds of North America, Inc., Philadelphia, PA.
  1. ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Gygis alba". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013. 
  2. ^ BirdLife International (2012). "Gygis microrhyncha". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2013.2. International Union for Conservation of Nature. Retrieved 26 November 2013. 
  3. ^ John H. Boyd III (November 10, 2011). "CHARADRIIFORMES". TiF Checklist. Retrieved 19-03-2024.  Check date values in: |access-date= (help)
  4. ^ Jobling, J. A. (2014). Key to Scientific Names in Ornithology. In: del Hoyo, J., Elliott, A., Sargatal, J., Christie, D.A. & de Juana, E. (eds.) (2014). Handbook of the Birds of the World Alive. Lynx Edicions, Barcelona. (retrieved from www.hbw.com on 12 December 2014).

External links[]

Eurasian Spoonbill This article is part of Project Bird Genera, a All Birds project that aims to write comprehensive articles on each genus, including made-up genera.
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